During the annual Minnesota Onsite Wastewater Association's (MOWA) annual meeting in Duluth in January, MPCA SSTS Manager Jim Ziegler provided an update on the SSTS program in Minnesota.
Ordinance adoption
– All counties have updated their SSTS ordinances to reflect current state
rules and regulations. Of the approximately 141 cities, townships and special
purpose local governmental units, 105 have updated their ordinances while
another 20 are working through the ordinance adoption process.
Grants – The MPCA
awards incentive grants to counties that have provisions in their ordinances
that go above and beyond the minimum program requirements. The MPCA has been
working with counties through the SSTS Implementation and Enforcement Task
Force to identify the most beneficial ways to use incentive grants ($195,000
awarded in 2016) to accelerate SSTS compliance across the state. Information on
the next round of grants will be sent to counties in May.
Licensing and certification
– In the past, Ziegler says, work in this area focused mainly on ensuring that
SSTS installers were qualified and properly licensed for the work they were
doing. But, he adds, it’s important to
ensure all SSTS work is done by qualified individuals. “Those who review
designs, issue permits and inspect systems for local programs play a critical
role in maintaining the integrity of the SSTS program.” To that end, Ziegler said it is important
that a ‘qualified employee’ with the appropriate training signs-off on
statements that certify work is being completed in accordance with
requirements.
“These statements are an important way for us to know who is
accountable for the work that’s being done,” Ziegler says. "They are required on
design reports, as-builts, inspection reports and compliance management
reporting. The MPCA is actively working to hold all qualified professionals
accountable for their quality of work. Please notify SSTS regional staff if you
suspect that someone is working without a license, outside of their
authorizations, or has quality of work issues."
Ziegler expressed appreciation to MOWA members who have
worked on the Need-to-Know process for SSTS specialty areas, “especially
steering committee members who have volunteered many hours to dig into the
weeds on a number of issues. The MPCA is committed to this process as the way
to periodically update and align the job tasks, curriculum priorities and exam
competencies that warrant certification for SSTS professionals.” Since 2013,
six of nine task analyses and validation surveys have been completed and five
of nine exams have been updated and piloted.
Enforcement – The MPCA was granted ticketing authority in 2014.
Twelve citations were issued during 2015/16. Nine were for failure to submit
as-builts, four for unlicensed work violations and three for not acquiring a
needed permit. Some citations included multiple violations. The 2015/16
citations resulted in a total of $6,500 in penalties.
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Volunteer recognition
– “The SSTS program is nothing without its stakeholders,” Ziegler said. “We are
so fortunate to have such committed partners in the delivery and improvement of
this program.” More than 50 SSTS professionals contributed at least 2,000 hours
serving on the SSTS Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Panel,
Implementation and Enforcement Task Force and Need-to-Know/Exam Development
efforts.
“This contribution is the equivalent of one full-time
employee,” Ziegler said, “a ‘super’ FTE with 50 different perspectives
and viewpoints.” More volunteer opportunities are available. Contact Aaron
Jensen or Nick Haig at the MPCA if you would like to explore where the current
needs are.
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While people often focus on the negative aspects of
change, it also brings opportunities. Dave Gustafson with the University
of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Program spoke to the MOWA group about opportunities that climate and political change might bring for SSTS
professionals.
He began by mentioning the recent election. “As an industry we need to be ready to be part of the push for upgrading
the nation’s infrastructure. It’s coming and we don’t want to miss that. We
need to be ready to talk about how onsites are a positive and affordable choice
for wastewater infrastructure. That voice needs to be at the table of wastewater
infrastructure discussions. And we need to be at the table in a positive way…
we need to do a better job of discussing issues so that everyone is part of the
‘win.’ ”
Stormwater -- Gustafson said climate
change is bringing heavier rains and higher groundwater levels. “We need to
follow our codes, protecting to worst case scenarios… A focus on stormwater
will provide opportunities for stormwater services and have an impact on our
designs. Maintenance issues will become a bigger thing… as an industry we need
to help our customers better maintain their systems.”
Water softeners
-- When it comes to the impact water softeners have on septic systems,
Gustafson said it’s clear that it makes a difference what kind of water
softener home owners pick. “Good” water softeners don’t have a negative impact
on soil absorption. By good he means systems that recharge based on flow/usage,
not time, as excessive/unnecessary discharges are mainly the issue, not
chemistry, when it comes to water softeners posing a problem to septic systems.
He added some advanced type IV systems shouldn’t have softener recharge go into
them and so water softeners shouldn’t be used with advanced systems.
Flushable wipes
-- “Companies say THEIR wipes are not causing the problem. They need to be kept
out of the system,” Gustafson says.
Restaurant system
upgrades – “Work with restaurants on getting practices changed to correct
problems before upgrading and then work with them to evaluate, select and
implement the right system for a particular site,” Gustafson said. Adequate
testing is required to help designers and customers come up with the right
solution.
Finally, Gustafson said because of issues like
drug-resistant bacteria, SSTS professionals need to be careful how they work
and practice safe habits when exposed to septage, such as during land
application.
Recent MPCA retirees Mark Wespetal and Barb McCarthy hold a copy of the Minnesota rules pertaining to septic systems they helped write, just one of many accomplishments for which they were honored with MOWA lifetime achievement awards in Duluth.
Presenters highlighted Mark’s integrity and commitment to basing rules on the best science available and Barb’s low-key but persistent efforts to build a top-notch SSTS program for Minnesota. The word “persistent” was emphasized. Joining them were two others retired from the MPCA SSTS program, Gretchen Sabel and Pat Shelito.
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By Cody Robinson
The
MPCA has received a number of questions regarding permitting car wash facilities for SSTS. Questions are understandable, as these unique
facilities pose some difficult challenges for designers and permitting
authorities alike. The purpose of this article is to point out some necessary
determinations that need to be made, along with an agency-recommended solution
to make this process as simple as placing your vehicle in neutral and taking
your foot off the brake.
Is the waste Industrial, hazardous or septic?
To begin, lets step back to some
design considerations and determine what kinds of wastes will be generated at
these facilities, as the designations of wastewater will vary depending on the
type of car wash facility being proposed.
All wash water generated from washing
the exterior of vehicles is considered industrial waste subject to
regulation from the industrial wastewater (NPDES) program.
Next, if the car
wash will have capabilities for washing engine compartments or vehicle
undercarriages, then the wastewater is determined to be hazardous waste subject to regulations from the MPCA and EPA’s hazardous waste program.
Lastly,
if the car wash facility proposes to have bathrooms, or anything that will
generate waste from bathing, laundry, or culinary operations, the waste is
considered sewage subject to the MPCA’s SSTS program (assuming SSTS is
going to be used).
For designers, the biggest challenge is determining a design
flow for these types of facilities. Car washes are subject to highly variable
flows and surges depending on many factors, some of which include: weather,
time of year, car wash technology utilized, and water reuse applications.
For regulators, the main difficulty is determining which
regulations are applicable based on the type of facility, and the types of
waste entering the treatment train.
What's the solution? Separate waste streams
What is the simplest solution? Separate those waste streams!
Subsurface sewage treatment systems are sophisticated methods designed for
treating sewage. Additionally, Minn. R. Chapter 7080 only
covers treatment and discharge of sewage.
If any other types of wastewater are
mixed with sewage, all applicable regulations are required to be met. Simply
put, it is not cost-effective or time-efficient to utilize sophisticated sewage
treatment technology for the treatment of highly variable non-sewage flows.
Once the waste streams are separated, it becomes significantly less complicated
to meet the regulations for each type of waste being generated and determine "other establishment" design flow out of Minn. R. Chapter 7081.
It is also important to note that car wash facilities fall
under the EPA Underground Injection Control Program, and inventory information
about the well must be submitted to the EPA. You can find more information on
Class V reporting on the EPA’s website.
For more information on the NPDES program, feel free to visit the MPCA’s industrial
wastewater webpage. For information on hazardous waste, visit the MPCA’s hazardous
waste reporting and licensing for businesses webpage. Lastly, for the
treatment of sewage via SSTS, please visit the MPCA’s SSTS
webpage.
If you have any other questions about permitting car wash
facilities, please feel free to call Cody Robinson (MPCA) at (651) 757-2535 or
email at Cody.Robinson@state.mn.us.
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Submission forms
for tanks installed in 2016 were sent to all installers. If you haven't already, please double check the
number of septic tanks you installed during 2016 with your local units
of government and return the completed form to Sadie Wunder in the Brainerd MPCA office ASAP.
Remember, you need to return the tank installation submission form even if you did not install any tanks in 2016. If you did not install any tanks in 2016, place a zero on the form where it asks for the number of tanks installed in 2016.
The MPCA will use the information you provide to generate an invoice you will receive in April.
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